KILO I ‘A // 1

2016 | JANUARY | FEBRUARY | MARCH

P A P A H A N A U M O K U A K E A

NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

A STORY ON LIMUpage 12

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D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

Dr. Andrew RossiterDirector, Waikīkī Aquarium

Issue Number 1952016 JANUARY | FEBRUARY | MARCH

EDITORBecker Communications

ART DIRECTORJairus Kiyonaga

PHOTOGRAPHERSBlake ThompsonLeon Ho

PRINTING Reskyu

Kilo i‘a is published quarterly by the University of Hawai‘i and the Friends of Waikīkī Aquarium and is dedicated to increasing the community’s knowledge of the Waikīkī Aquarium and Hawai‘i’s marine life.

Waikīkī Aquarium2777 Kalākaua Ave.Honolulu, HI 96815-4027PHONE (808)923-9741FAX (808)923-1771www.Waikīkīaquarium.org

WRITE TO US AT kiloia@Waikīkīaquarium.org© 2016 Waikīkī Aquarium

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER WITH ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY INKS

M A N A ‘ O

As 2015 has drawn to a close, we look forward to the upcoming year with great enthusiasm and excitement. With the support of FOWA, the Aquarium is embarking on an ambitious master

planning process and a major renovation and retheming of the gallery exhibits. In tandem with this will be an upgrading of our program offerings, with more hands-on activities for visitors, both young and not-so-young, to enjoy. Pilot programs undertaken on site this year, coupled with feedback and requests from members and visitors, have indicated these offerings to be extremely popular. In line with this, we will also be upgrading and updating our video offerings and graphics displays. Those of you who visit regularly will have noticed the new and updated Hawaiian monk seal graphics that were recently installed; you might also have noticed that this species has a new scientific name, Neomonachus schauinslandi.

Two other major projects are slated for 2016. The first is an upgrade and expansion of the Aquarium’s behind-the-scenes coral propagation program, supported by Matson Navigation, to include more coral holding tanks and additional Hawaiian and South Pacific species. With the negative effects of climate change and ocean acidification on coral reefs becoming readily apparent, maintaining a reservoir of threatened or endangered coral species has become increasingly important. The second project, supported by the Legislature, will address long standing structural issues and proactively attend to potential health and safety matters throughout the aging Aquarium building. When complete, this will allow for extensive behind-the-scenes tours of the entire facility, and allow visitors to see, firsthand, the fascinating marine research and conservation projects that are now being undertaken at the Aquarium out of the public eye.

In the shadows in terms of scale and cost, but of

Traditionally, the kilo i‘a was an expert of fish and marine life. He studied the behaviors and movements of i‘a. The kilo stood at a high point of land overlooking the ocean to watch for an expected school of fish and steered the fishermen in the school’s direction. The success of surrounding the school was entirely up to the kilo.

Cover Photo Credit: Chris Wall/HIMB

equal importance in conserving Hawaii’s marine life, is a smaller project, suggested by concerned Aquarium volunteers and supported by FOWA, in which educational signage will be installed at the sea wall at the back of the Aquarium. The signage will inform passers by that the reef in front of them is a Marine Life Conservation District, and so no collecting or fishing is allowed there. It will also instruct them to not feed the fish. Every day well-meaning but poorly informed residents feed the fish at this site. Unfortunately, the bread, frozen peas and, yes, hamburger, on offer is the fish equivalent of junk food and a wholly unhealthy diet. In addition, the large numbers of fishes of different species that gather to be fed are very unnatural, and significant aggression takes place between individuals fighting over the food on offer. These gatherings also allow some predatory fishes to attack less wary smaller individuals that are focusing of their next slice of bread. Hanauma Bay prohibited feeding of fished a long time ago for exactly these reasons. An additional concern is that such aggregations of unwary fish can prove attractive to larger predators, including sharks. Indeed, some of the severe, including fatal, shark attacks at one location in the Red Sea a few years ago have been attributed to precisely this reason. People feeding fishes, which form large unnatural aggregations of unwary targets, which attract the attention of sharks, which venture closer to shore than normal, and interact with swimmers. Let’s put a halt to this possibility before anything unpleasant occurs.

Lastly, I and the entire Aquarium team thank you for your support and extend to you seasonal greetings and all good wishes for a happy and successful 2016.

Left to right: Gerard Fort, MaryLou Foley, Dr. Andrew Rossiter

KILO I ‘A // 3

MEMBERS NIGHTOn November 8th, Friends of Waikīkī Aquarium (FOWA) members enjoyed a waddling-good time learning about penguins. Following the FOWA Annual Meeting, members moved over to the Aquarium lawn and enjoyed picnic dinners and movies by moonlight on the lawn – complete with popcorn. A special full-length episode of The Octonauts and The Penguin Counters were shown on a 20-foot inflatable screen, providing a fin-tastic evening of cinema.

Our youngest members enjoyed learning from the beloved Octonauts crew of eight adorable animals who explore the ocean in search of adventure from their undersea “Octopod” base. The second feature followed a team of field biologists on a journey to one of the world’s most fastest-warming regions, Antarctica, where they tracked the impact of climate change and ocean health – one penguin at a time.

A special thank you to Silvergate Media, Getzels Gordon Productions and Funflicks Outdoor Movies for their generous support!

MYSTICAL MERMAID CELEBRATION

A pod of mermaids splashed through the Aquarium for our Mystical Mermaid Celebration on November 8. Keiki of all

ages dressed in their best scales and fish tails for a special fashion show,

pictures with a mermaid, and beautiful live paintings by local artist, Patrice

Federspiel.

R E C E N T E V E N T S

Left to right: Charlie Loomis, FOWA; Lee Bell, Oceanic Hollis; Dr. Richard Pyle, Bishop Museum; Dr. Ruth Fletcher, Director of Professional Programs, Punahou School

Keiki of all ages attended the Mystical Mermaid Event dressed in their best mermaid costumes.

Group shot of our volunteers who participated in the November beach clean up

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES

On November 19, we welcomed world-renowned exploratory

diver, Dr. Richard L. Pyle from the Department of Natural Sciences at

Bishop Museum, for a lecture entitled “Creatures of the Deep.” Dr. Pyle

shared his pioneering work in deep-sea dives of 200-500 feet, discovery

of new fish species and innovations in the field of technical diving. Supported

in part by Professional Programs, Punahou School, the lecture was held

at Thurston Memorial Chapel for a crowd of over 250 guests.

BEACH CLEAN UPIn support of our mission to protect Pacific marine life, over 70 volunteers took part in a beach clean up on November 21. Participants included groups from the University of Hawai’i, Hawai’i Pacific University, the United States Air Force and Marine Corps. They removed trash and other debris from the beach and park areas around the Waikīkī Aquarium.

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U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

MAUKA TO MAKAIOur annual Earth Day celebration, hosted by the Department of Health-Clean Water Branch and City & County of Honolulu Environmental Services, will be held on April 23, 2016. In support of our mission and to reinforce its commitment, the Department of Health-Clean Water Branch provided the Waikīkī Aquarium with a rain garden in 2014. Rain gardens are shallow depressions strategically placed and planted with vegetation in order to capture storm water runoff from impervious surfaces.

Supported by Kamehameha Schools Publishing, this event is free and open to the public and will highlight the impact we make on water sources from Mauka to Makai and how we can help to keep our oceans clean. Families are invited to join us for educational activities focused on the preservation and protection of our environment.

CELEBRATING OUR LEGACIESOur partners at the legendary Moana Surfrider are celebrating 115 years of service and commitment to Hawai’i this March. Under the leadership of General Manager Larry Hanson, the Moana Surfrider continues to value and serve its community, specifically through its partnership with the Waikīkī Aquarium.

In December, the Moana featured an ocean themed Holiday tree with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of ornaments benefitting the Waikīkī Aquarium. In March, the Moana celebrates its 115th birthday and our 112th with a special concert featuring internationally known recording artist, Makana. In June, the Waikīkī Aquarium will be the recipient of its signature restaurant, beachhouse at the moana, Table 53 program. Please see our website for additional details.

Our sincere thanks to Larry Hanson, Stuart Kotake and the entire staff of the Moana Surfrider for their support!

Hawai‘i Residential Rain Garden Manual 17Hawai‘i Residential Rain Garden Manual 17

Defi nitionsConstruction Depth: Depth of the rain garden during construction.

Finished Depth: Depth of the rain garden after adding approx-imately 2” of mulch (fi nished ponding depth approximately 9”).

Rain Garden ComponentsInlet

Berm

Slope

Basin

Outlet

Accent Rocks

17

SAVE THE DATE!Our next Distinguished Lecture Series

is on April 7, 2016.

Photo Credit: The Moana Surfrider

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Kilo‘ia NewsletterColor, 3.75”[w] x 2”[h]

The ‘āina is depending on you! PROUD SPONSOR OF MAUKA TO MAKAI

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KILO I ‘A // 5

Join the Waikīkī Aquarium as we host the 9th Annual International Koi Show on February 13 and 14, 2016. Hawai’i’s largest koi show will feature hundreds of top-quality koi for purchase and display. In addition, koi experts will lead educational seminars and guests will enjoy a variety of authentic Japanese performances and activities.

Nishikigoi, usually referred to in the West more simply as koi, is the national fish of Japan. The many color varieties seen today have been developed from ordinary common carp through generations of selective breeding. Koi were first bred in Japan in the 1820s in the northeastern Niigata Prefecture, and it is still here today that the focus of major koi production occurs. Although koi are now bred in many other countries, such as Israel, Malaysia, and the USA, the fish produced do not match the quality of those from Japan. Unlike other animals that have been bred along pedigree lines, koi do not breed true, and from the 50,000 eggs of an average spawning of expensive show winners, only about 20, less than 0.05%, may turn out to be fish with acceptable standards of color and pattern. Body conformation is a different matter, and several of the major breeders now produce koi with strong inherited body shape. From the original red and white mutation in common carp, there are now many different varieties of one-, two-, three- and multi-colored varieties, each with its own Japanese name.

Koi keeping is an immensely popular hobby in Japan, and more recently, in many other countries, and quality koi sometimes exchange hands for large sums of money. However, an expensive koi is not necessarily a good koi, and neither is an inexpensive koi necessarily a poor quality koi. What are acceptable color and patterns, and what constitutes a good body shape? Come see and learn for yourself! Drop by the Aloha Koi Show in February, chat with the koi enthusiasts there and see the hundreds of quality koi on display in one of the largest koi shows in the USA.

KoiShowFebruary 13 & 14, 2016

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Not your ordinary retired, married couple, Brian and Caryll are familiar faces at the Waikīkī Aquarium. As Educators they volunteer at the touch pool, Monk Seal Habitat, and interpret the exhibits, so visitors get the most educational experience possible.

Both originally from Ohio, the couple first set eyes on Hawai’i when Brian was stationed at Kane’ohe Bay in 1963. According to Caryll, it was love at first sight. “I think that’s when we really found a home in Hawai’i, and that’s what made it so easy to come back here,” she says with a smile. As for the Waikīkī Aquarium, there were a number of factors that led to the couple’s effort to get involved, including “its history, its status, and

its proximity,” explains Brian.

Caryll and Brian most certainly have found a home at the Aquarium. As Caryll explains, it’s “incredibly fun interacting with all the people, all the different nationalities and of course, we’re

giving back to the community. I think that’s what keeps us here – we feel appreciated and we really like the feeling of ‘ohana.”

Outside their time spent volunteering, Brian and Caryll make an effort to stay active and healthy. They play tennis, hike, and do outrigger canoe paddling. The couple also loves to travel. “We just came back from

Korea,” says Caryll. In fact, one of the couple’s favorite things about the volunteer community at the Waikīkī Aquarium is that it is so accommodating of their travels. “We have the opportunity to take a break from volunteering and go traveling, and then we can come back and start right where we left off. A lot of places won’t let you have that kind of flexibility,” Caryll explains.

As for their favorite experiences at the Aquarium, Brian always looks forward to the Ke Kani O Ke Kai summer concert series and Caryll loves Family Night – “the kids really enjoy all our efforts and the staff are so creative!” In the coming months, Brian and Caryll look forward to enjoying the various opportunities offered by the Waikīkī Aquarium.

The Waikīkī Aquarium Volunteer Center aims to inspire Aquarium volunteers through enrichments, such as educational lectures by Dr. Richard Pyle and other world renowned marine biologists, snorkel tours, reef walks, special tours of Coconut Island and, most recently, a mammal and fish training enrichment field trip to Dolphin Quest at Kāhala Hotel. Dolphin Quest senior mammal trainers demonstrated current research being done on hormones through blowhole sampling, suction cup tracking devices, and dolphin heart research by using endoscopy and trained breathing behaviors. This research is made possible through skilled and dedicated training based on trust, enrichment items, proper diet and a safe atmosphere. In addition to Dolphin training, they also train their fish and rays to identify shapes and textures during feeding; this type of training is called target training and it allows for better care of the animals. Dolphin Quest shares this research free to community groups like the Aquarium volunteers and school groups. Aquarium volunteers extend a big thank you to the trainers at Dolphin Quest for sharing their training and research!

We hope you join our volunteer ohana!

Becoming a Waikīkī Aquarium volunteer is easy and so rewarding. There are volunteer positions inside and outside, flexible and long-term, and no experience is necessary. To apply today, visit www.waikikiaquarium.org/support/volunteer to start the application process.

V O L U N T E E R S P O T L I G H T

V O L U N T E E R E N R I C H M E N T

Volunteer Interview and spotlight by Volunteer writer: Neha Sharma

KILO I ‘A // 7

HAWAI’I’SHAWAI’I’S

OWNOWN

BACKYARDBACKYARD

THE FINAL FRONTIER OF EXPLORATION

By Andy Collins, Education Coordinator

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

NOAA scientist Brian Hauk and Bishop Museum scientist Richard Pyle descend to a reef at 300 feet on Pioneer Bank, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Credit: NOAA and Robert Whitton/Bishop Museum

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Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in summer 2015 allowed scientists to explore deep-sea habitats never before seen by human eyes.

Researchers aboard our nation’s first and only Federal exploration vessel, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, conducted two missions to deep-sea ridges, seamounts and unique geologic features along the Hawaiian Archipelago using a two-body remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system tethered to the ship. The deepest dive was down to 4,829 meters (nearly 16,000 feet, or 3 miles!) southeast of Maro Reef. This was also the deepest dive ever conducted inside the Monument.

Footage from the ROVs’ high-definition cameras was broadcast live on the Internet for public viewing and scientific use. Scientists from around the world were able to participate in these expeditions remotely by viewing live streams over the Internet and providing scientific interpretations in real

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and World Heritage Site in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is

one of the largest marine protected areas on Earth and mostly unexplored. Nearly every year NOAA research expeditions to the Monument document new marine species and new species records.

Annual reef assessment and monitoring expeditions, conducted since 2000, attempt to document change over time in the marine areas within recreational SCUBA diving and snorkeling depths. One of the major changes observed over the last 15 years has been change in coral cover due to bleaching events and impacts from algal blooms. In 2014, several reefs in the Monument experienced severe coral bleaching due to abnormally high seawater temperatures causing the third major coral bleaching event in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In August 2015, a team of scientists from NOAA and the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology revisited sites inside the Monument where they had documented bleaching in 2014. While some areas exhibited recovery, other areas such as the coral reefs around Lisianski Island showed coral mortalities ranging between 85 to 100 percent, with little to no signs of recovery. This is particularly troubling since one of the coral species with the highest levels of mortality in the Monument is an endemic species with few colonies elsewhere in the Hawaiian Archipelago.

In 2015 abnormally high water temperatures appeared to be focused in the main eight Hawaiian Islands rather than in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and this may allow some coral recovery up in the North. However, with rising global temperatures, corals across Hawaiʻi and around the world are likely to see more bleaching events in the near future.

Two other NOAA research expeditions to the

time. This near instantaneous collaboration allowed land-based scientists to request that the ROV change course and investigate areas of interest during the dive. Giant sponges, large communities of deep-sea corals, unique fish, invertebrates and fascinating deep-sea geologic features were among the stunning observations made from the missions. The ROV also collected biologic and geologic samples, which were shipped to labs around the world for study. Most of the invertebrate specimens collected represent new species or new records for the Hawaiian Archipelago.

Later in the summer, scientists aboard NOAA Ship Hiʻialakai surveyed mesophotic areas around a number of the seamounts, atolls and islands within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Utilizing closed-

The ROV Deep Discoverer explores the deep waters of the Monument. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana

Rare species at a depth of 300 feet at Kure Atoll in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Clockwise from left: a new species of wrasse (family Suezichthys); unidentified species of sea urchin; Struhsaker’s damselfish (Chromis struhsakeri), never before seen by divers (this species of fish was previ-ously known only from deep trawls and submersible observations). Credit: NOAA and Richard Pyle/Bishop Museum

Snorkeler counting fish at Kure Atoll in

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Photographer: NOAA Office of Papahānaumokuākea,

2006 Claire Fackler

KILO I ‘A // 9

circuit rebreather technologies, researchers from NOAA, Bishop Museum and University of Hawaiʻi surveyed coral reef areas between 50 and 90 meters depth. This depth stratum is one of the least explored in the marine realm since only recent advances in SCUBA diving technology have made it safe and cost-effective to conduct explorations to these depths, and it is generally too shallow for submersibles given the great expense of those technologies.

The surveys conducted at the northernmost atolls in the Hawaiian Archipelago revealed an extremely high abundance of species found only in the Hawaiian Islands. On some of the deep reefs surveyed, 100 percent of the fishes recorded were endemic – meaning that they are all unique to the Hawaiian Archipelago. This is the highest level of endemism recorded from any ecosystem on Earth. The mission also documented what are thought to be new records for the region, and possibly a new species of seahorse found at a depth of 90 meters on Pioneer Bank.

New species or records can take several years and extensive deliberation amongst taxonomic specialists before they are confirmed, so we will have to wait for final word on these observations.

Andy Collins is the Education Coordinator for Papahānaumokuākea

Marine National Monument and oversees the Monumentʻs education programs on three islands. Last August he participated in an expedition to the Monument that located the wreck of the USS Mission San Miguel at Maro Reef.

Expedition science leads Christopher Kelley (background) and Daniel Wagner (foreground) monitor an ROV dive in the science control room of the Okeanos Explorer. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana

The ROV Deep Discoverer being brought back on deck of the Okeanos Explorer after a successful dive. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana

A new species of seahorse collected by NOAA scientists at 300 feet on Pioneer Bank inside Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Credit: Brian Hauk/NOAA

A high-density community of deep-sea corals and sponges at a depth of 2,000 meters (that’s more than a mile deep!) surveyed during the expedition. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana

A commensal brittle star on a deep-sea pink coral photographed at Salmon Bank in the Northwestern

Hawaiian Islands.

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean

Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana.

MORE FROM THE EXPEDITION

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SEA SQUIRTSEA SQUIRTSThis little hermit crab needs to move into a new home. can you help it get to its new shell?

You made it! Now this little crab has a new coZy home that’s the perfect size!

KILO I ‘A // 11

C L A S S E S & A C T I V I T I E S

AFTERNOONS AT THEAQUARIUMWednesdays at 3:00 p.m.

Every Wednesday, the Aquarium hosts an interactive learning activity near the aquaculture deck. Join us for a critter encounter or a marine science craft designed for families. Free with admission to the Aquarium.

KEIKI TIMEWednesdays at 9:15 a.m. April 6th (Fish)April 13th (Turtles)April 20th (Sharks)April 27th (Seals)

Sharks, turtles, and seals are just some of the animals that will be highlighted in these classes for kids. Keiki will learn about sea creatures through crafts, singing, storytelling, dance and play. Designed for kids 1 to 4 years-old. $10/person, $6/member.

CRITTER ENCOUNTERSMondays January 25th, February 1st, February 29th, March 14th at 9:30 am

Wednesdays, February 10th and 24th, March 2nd, 9th 16th, 23rd, 30th at 10:00 am

Sneak-a-peek behind the scenes and learn about Hawaiian reef animals. Hold a sea star, feel a sea cucumber and feed an anemone. This half-hour program is a great addition to any visit to the Waikīkī Aquarium. Perfect for families with children ages 4 and up. $5/person plus Aquarium Admission.

BEHIND THE SCENESEvery Thursday at 3:00 p.m.

Learn what makes the Aquarium run, from fish food to quarantine, and many stops in between. Climb-up and peer into the backs of the exhibits. Visit the Coral Farm and the Jelly Hale, where sea jellies are raised. Minimum age 7 years; youngsters must be accompanied by an adult. Accessibility is limited. $16/adult, $10/child (Members receive a 40 percent discount).

AQUARIUM AFTER DARKTuesday March 15 at 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Discover if fish sleep on an after-dark flashlight tour of the Aquarium. Find the sleeping spot for the red-toothed triggerfish or the rock-mover wrasse. Are yellow tang always yellow? Come for a class followed by a tour of the exhibits. Minimum age 5 years; youngsters must be accompanied by an adult. $15/adult, $10/child (Members receive a 40 percent discount).

Register online at www.waikikiaquarium.org/interact/activities-classes/

CLASSES FOR GROUPS

Waikīkī Aquarium offers a variety of classes for community and family groups from 8 people to 45 people. Book a Private Aquarium Tour or a Critter Encounter for your clan. Or, an Aquarium After Dark or Fish School for your club or scout group. Call 808-440-9007 for more information or email reservations@waquarium.org.

NAME(S)

Adults Phone (Home)

Children/Ages Phone (Work)

Address

City/State/Zip Email

PLEASE REGISTER ME FOR

Activity Session Date(s) Number of Adults/Children Price

/

/

/

/

Total amount of payment enclosed (check payable to “University of Hawai‘i”):

IF PAYING BY CREDIT CARD

Credit card # VISA MC

Expiration Date Last three digits of security code on back of card

I am a FOWA Member Yes No

A C T I V I T Y R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M

SEA SQUIRTSThis little hermit crab needs to move into a new home. can you help it get to its new shell?

You made it! Now this little crab has a new coZy home that’s the perfect size!

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Most people would agree that a healthy reef has lots of colorful fish and an occasional shark that swims through. But our healthy

reefs are also home to hundreds of species of marine plants. Like plants on land, these ocean plants provide food for those colorful reef fish, urchins and even the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas. Most locals would also know that a few of our reef plants, the limu, are the food of our luau and the latest ono innovation, poke bowls. Beyond food, though, reef plants provide shelter and even absorb nutrients from surrounding water. These observations lead us to realize that reef plants are fundamental to Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs. In recent decades many of Hawaiʻi’s reefs have changed dramatically, and the negative impacts are far reaching.

After World War II, increases in shipping and international research brought non-native marine plants, also called seaweeds, to Hawaiʻi. Because

By Dr. Celia Smith, Professor of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Manoā

You

You

areWhat

EatYou

You

areWhat

Eat

A forest of healthy native Hawaiian sargassum polyphyllum, also known as limu kala. Green sea turtles, also known as honu, depend on this algae for survival.

KILO I ‘A // 13

these species are not native to any Hawaiian ecosystem, most of these introductions probably failed without anyone detecting them. However, a few species did survive and now thrive on Hawaiian reefs. Also during this time, agriculture and wastewater from our growing urban population and tourism infrastructure introduced unprecedented amounts of nutrients to many of our reefs. Seaweeds were in the right place to acquire extra nitrogen and outcompete natives. The combination of non-native species and increased nutrients shifted many reefs from native limu to seaweeds, a state that persists today.

Because reef plants are food for reef herbivores, increases in native limu should benefit the herbivores that eat these plants. For green sea turtles, or honu, this could be particularly true. Honu rely almost exclusively on larger reef plants as food. Historical records show that green turtles were once widespread and abundant in Hawaiʻi but were heavily harvested and neared extinction in the late 1960s. Since protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1974, the green turtles have been a conservation success story in Hawaiʻi, and their population has grown at roughly five percent a year.

For honu, though, the proliferation of invasive seaweeds seemed to have caused more

harm than good. No one knows precisely when, but a tumor-forming disease known as fibropapillomatosis, or FP for short, appeared in honu, sometime after 1950. By the early 1980s, the disease was widespread in some locations and caused many strandings and

deaths. Many feared that after decades of hunting, the depleted population would now succumb to this new disease. Though this has not occurred, NOAA records show that the disease persists. FP is the number one cause of death for honu, by far, since such records have been kept.

So what is causing the disease? Today there is scientific consensus that the tumors appear because the turtles are infected with a herpesvirus. Though dozens of studies have confirmed this, in some ways this is an odd explanation. Typically for herpesviruses, they may be widely distributed in the host population, but symptoms of disease do not always show up.

In 2010, Dr. Kyle Van Houtan from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and colleagues published a PLoS One paper that linked FP to nutrients increases from land-based sources, a ʻnitrogen footprintʻ for watersheds. With this exciting breakthrough came a proposed mechanism. These researchers tied together the ability of all plants to store nitrogen as an amino acid, arginine, which has a critical role in FP. Arginine is an essential factor and required by the herpesvirus for tumor development. They suggested that in times when nutrients load into coastal water, seaweeds take up extra nitrogen from the environment and synthesize arginine that seaweeds store in their tissues. If turtles graze on seaweeds from nutrient rich habitats, then turtles are eating arginine-loaded tissues that promote

the herpesvirus and thus tumors. The turtles were literally eating themselves sick.

In 2014, Dr. Van Houtan and Botany researchers Meg Dailer, Migiwa Kawachi and I published new results in PeerJ. We tested Van Houtanʻs mechanism by analyzing the tissues of limu and seaweed tissues based on their habitat status. The support for Van Houtanʻs mechanism has become even stronger with realization that turtles grazing on seaweeds in impacted sites increased their arginine intake up to 14 times when compared with background level from a diet of plants from healthy reefs.

In an interesting twist, early NOAA data also recorded that green turtles in some coastal areas were covered in tumors, and then kilometers away, turtles could be disease free. The disease seemed to be tied to sites, not other factors, as expected by the nitrogen-footprint concept. This key observation led us to propose that if we can cut the nutrient loading into coastal ecosystems, the algae, native and invasive species, will eventually have less arginine stored in tissues. Experiments on Maui are underway to test this concept as we continue to try to find ways to use this information to help manage the health of our coastal species – for grazers, limu and us!

A Hawaiian honu with the tumor-forming disease

fibropapillomatosis caused by invasive algae species.

Photo Credit: Chris Stankis

Limu kala, Sargassum polyphyllum

Pterocladiella capillacea Pterocladiella capillacea

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M E M B E R S L I S T

Patrick & Jamie AhlerJason AleshireSteve AllenKate & John Doe AmbashDarius Amjadi & Beverly DavisGabriel & Eleanor AmosMarion AnoDr. Bud Antonelis & Ms. Brandy AntonelisRalph Aona & Tonia MahiLance & Yau Lee ArakakiMr. Elvin ArroyoDouglas AscalonKenneth & Mae AuPatricia Conjugacion AugustineRonald & Yuko BakerRoger & Jana BaniagaSean & Maryann BarrRobert BarryTrina BashemGary & Pat BilykPaul Bishay & Marisol TiradoScott & Norie BloomKendall BossertThomas & Katie BradyChalen BrownMr. & Mrs. BrownRichard & Jacey BrownCong BuiGerald & Takara BullockThomas Burke & Marie WagnerJoshua & Miriam CalibosoMrs. Melinda CallSuzanne CarlosBruce A. CarlsonJennifer and Christopher CarterCharaspden Chardenpakdi & Frank KimChris & Jun Young Yim ChaseJeremy & Ashley ChengKeric & Amanda ChinMs. Deane M. ChinenBrandon & Grady ChoiCarole ChunKenneth B. ChunMrs. Louise ChungTravis & Hannah CleggAdam & Alane ColeJeff & Donna ConklinMr. & Mrs. Edward K. ConklinNancee CrispinDenis & Beverly CurryMyrna Daguio & Jennifer TuckerKathryn & Kevin DaiseyEryn DavidSanna Saks DeutschMs. Yolanda Deweese & Mr. Cleveland MederiosAndy DoAskok C. DoCraig & Nicole DobsonRodney & Anicque DomingoW. C. DonnellyMr. Robert & Dr. Cherie DubatsPatti EisingerLyndall & Jackquelyn EllingsonDr. Ardis Eschenberg and Mr. Gary PaulsonDevin EseliusRobert & Jennifer EvansBernard FajotaGregory & Janet FongWilliam & Helen FooteMr. & Mrs. David and Jocelyn FranksPhyllis FrusElaine Fujimoto & Bessie AuTaku & Carolyn FujimotoDrs. Roy & Christine GalBric & Heather GaluteriaPat & Hoagy GambleLevi & Michelle GeerMatt Gilbert & Noriko BansaiChristy GlabDr. Dru Gladney & Dr. Nancy ChenRodney & Bette GoMichelle GoodinMark GotoAngela GraceKevin & Christine GreenwellTiffany & Andrew GromlichDrs. Hagino & AshtonRenee Haili

Mr. Shuji HamamotoTodd & Lynn HamamotoKay HamptonDonald & Shirley HasenyagerJay HashimotoKumiko HayashiWallace T. HayashiMr. & Mrs. Rick HendrixNatif HenryRyan Higa & Jacqueline TelleiVirginia HinshawHazel Hirayama, Joy Matsukawa & Dayle HirayamaVictor & Ida HoJoseph & Kimberly HollandBecky Kimball HommonTravis Hong & Eileen ZorcLiane & Brian HooleGene & Josephine HoritaAmiee HortonJake Houseman & Alicia MoyJohn & Michiko HudsonCalvin Huynh & Ang NguyenCeleste & Ken IbaraScott ImadaCharlene S. In & Paul BillingtonKathryn K. InkinenGlen & Lynne InouyeTodd & Jennifer InouyeAlexis Inso & Barbara GackiChiyo IshibashiAlanna IsobeK. JensenWalter & Ellen JinboKeisuke & Noriko JoMichelle & Daniel JohnTatiana & Dominic JohnsonOlivia and Queenie Jove D. Wayne & Nanette JuddHoyoon Jung & Eunjoo LeeDr. Janet KalusDr. Mary Jo Noonan & Dr. Adam B. Kanis Derek & Alyssa KauanoeGuy Kellogg & Hanh NguyenMark & Kathleen KilbyLUNAYong Shin & Hyun Ok KimJoy & Bob KinzieLinda KnoxTad & Lynn KobayashiDavid H. KotomoriThomas KruemmelMr. & Mrs. Dudley Y. KuboBrownie KukJeffrey KuwabaraMrs. Kimiko LaHaela WalterPatrick & Maile LamDavid E. LathamDennison LauMr. & Mrs. Michael LauRonald & Valerie LauRyan & Stephanie LauWendell & Bonnie LeeXavier & Yasuko LeleuMr. & Mrs. William B. LennanHenry Leoiki & Jennifer Leoiki-DrinoAaron & Stephanie LeongApril K.Y. LeongMr. and Mrs. Herman LeongBrian & Karen LibbyWilbert & Valerie LiuMichael & Tiffani LloydMs. Kimberly LocksleyJeffrey Loh & Caroline ChangMr. & Mrs. Charles W. LoomisMr. & Mrs. Tim LucasAdele Lum & Blair AkionaEric & Kelly LumKevin & Nikol LuomaTroy & Danna LymanMrs. Nancy LyumDonna MakishimaShawn ManiniKaleen & Jason MartinLeilani MartinMichael & Brigitte McmahonLinda McNamaraL. Richard MelcherPhilip Meltmar

Tate Metler & Rebeccah Rodrigues-MetlerMr. Jon H. MikiCafey MillardRalph & Janet MillerCarole R. Milner G.G.Chiyoko Mirikitani & Yaeko MoritomoJames & Hannah MiyachiSydney and Katie MiyasatoMarcella MontoyaMrs. Brandy MorelandPeter Moser & Kolby MoserMr. & Mrs. Edwin MotoshigeEric MuellerTodd MurphyMr. & Mrs. Michael MuusJason & Raylene NagaiMr. & Mrs. George I. NagaoJanice Y. NakamaRicky & Stacie NakamuraMr. and Mrs. Tim NewshamHoward & Barbara NiheiErnest Naomi Nishizaki & FamilyAmy NoRoy & Kathy NodaMyles & Miwa NomuraEric & Maya NouchiGilbert OliveraClinton & Kristen OnoMr. & Mrs. Kenneth N. OnoMark & Wendy OnoderaAlexander & Xuemei OrtizEnrick B. Ortiz, Jr.Richard & Cindy OshimoRyan & June OshiroLisa Ota & Jane OtaMr. and Mrs. Eric PalacolKyle Pang & Jennifer FoleyStephanie & Joanne ParkDiane ParkerMatthew & Amy PhillipsMiriam & Mark PinhoChad & Jessica PodoskiPeter & Marina PoerzgenMegan PorterLeilani PyleCasey & Serah ReedDr. & Mrs. Ernst & Ilze ReeseRandi & David RobertsTyler & Christy RobertsonCade & Waileia RosterAnn RubyThe Ryckman FamilyTetsuaki & Yoshimi SaiharaTeri SatoRobin ScanlonFabian & Ingrid SchloesserBrooke & Naomi SchniderHeather & Jacob SchuhleinMr. Gabe ScottiMs. Eileen Shea & Mrs. Lavonne SheaMatthew & Sheri ShidoMr. & Mrs. David ShinbaraJohn & Karin ShinkawaAdam & Nikki ShinsatoMr. Scott ShiraishiMichael & Silvia ShowerDr. Rajesh ShresthaChad & Danica SillsMrs. Sandra SimondsConstance SmalesKim SmithChristopher SongRebecca SoonDr. & Mrs. Gary D. SticeMatthew & Haruna StoneRachel SubidoBen Suiso & Gail TiceHiro & Lori SungVictoria SuttonRika SuzukiAndrea SwansonRobert & Kaily SwitsonWayne & Sandra TakahashiLynette TamashiroMark TamashiroDave & Melissa TamuraMiwako TanahashiTed & Gayle Terayama

Wade & Kristi TeruyaCalvin Tong and Karen TsubataJudge and Mrs. Michael TownCheryl KawaokaKeith & Machiko TrueloveMr. & Mrs. Dick TsudaTsuyoshi & Rei TsurumiTravis & Diana TuckerJames & Wendy UminoMr. Kirk UrbanskiLiAnn Uyeda & Shannalei Allison-TavaresArthur VargasShari Vasconcellos & Flory VisoriaMr. & Mrs. Carl C. VetterRick & Andrea WagnerJames & Ann WalkinshawLoren WatanukiHeather & Blake WawrzenskiNancy D. WestcottAdam & Rebecca WhiteEmi WhitePaul & Jennifer WhiteRobert B. & Flora WhittierVictor & Jennifer WinterBrenda WongDrs. Jeffrey & Rupa WongMr. & Mrs. Gregory and Caryn WongRandal & Yvonne WongSteffany & Keith Mark WongTaryn Wong & Talia Wong TanakaThomas WoodrowMr. and Mrs. Solomon WoodwardErin WrightThomas YamachikaYamagata FamilyDerek & Cindy YamamotoScott & Vonceil YaraIsaac YiDavid Yoshishige & Nadine DoiTim & Paula YoungMr. & Mrs. Elmer Y.S. YuenLynn & Gloriette ZaneMs. Alison Zecha

Visit our website at www.waikikiaquarium.org/support/

membership/become-a-member/for more information.

Become a FOWA

MEMBER!

KILO I ‘A // 15

D E V E L O P M E N T

Left to Right: Laurie Komatsu, UH Foundation; Denis Isono, Executive Vice President, Central Pacific Bank; Dr. Andrew Rossiter, Waikīkī Aquarium; Susan Utsugi, Senior Vice President & Director, Central Pacific Bank

Mahalo to Dr. Stephen Miller for his in-kind donation to the Waikīkī Aquarium.

The year 2015 was a busy one for the Friends of Waikīkī Aquarium, as we built upon a very successful 110th anniversary with programs and events. Ke Kani O Ke Kai celebrated another entertaining season with local favorites Makana, Cyril Pahinui, Jake Shimabukuro and more! In August, keiki climbed aboard the RV ‘Imi loa for a fun-filled ocean exploration for Family Night and dressed in fin-tastic attire for a Mystical Mermaid Celebration in November.

The Distinguished Lecture Series continued in 2015 with world-renowned speakers, Dr. Randall Kosaki, NOAA Deputy Superintendent of Research and Field Operations, and Dr. Richard Pyle, Bishop Museum Department of Natural Sciences. Each of these internationally recognized researchers spoke about important ocean conservation issues and provided more insight into their respective fields of study to crowds of ocean enthusiasts.

The beautiful exhibits at the Waikīkī Aquarium and the valuable research and conservation efforts that go on behind the scenes are the result of the work of many.

Mahalo to all those who support us through their generous donations.

CORPORATE SUPPORT Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.Art of Aloha- Patrice. Federspeil Event Photo Solutions

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2015

wall Of faME

Foodland SupermarketsMartin & MacArthurNaturally Hawaiian, LLC. Patrick Ching

FOUNDATIONS, TRUSTS, GRANTS Central Pacific Bank . FoundationUniversity of Hawai’i at Manoa . SEED Weissman Family Foundation

IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSIONGarner BemisJean M. CarrGail GrabowskyDavid HarrisonKaren HondaSandra M. KaneshiroRobert KimHanako L. KuniyoshiLeihoku Elementary SchoolApril K. LeongNew Hope Christan School

Peter PoerzgenMarilyn PotterDavid SakaiVance TokumotoWilfred T. IkemotoValerie Wilson

IN MEMORY OF CHRISTINE LINGJulliette Ling

SCHOOL OF WISHESDon & Judi Young

IN-KIND DONATIONDr. Stephen MillerDiamond BakeryHannah PowersOceanic Hollis Papa Johns PizzaWhole Foods

FRIENDS OF WAIKIKI AQUARIUM BOARD MESSAGE

Left to right: Lee Bell, Oceanic Hollis; Nancy Taylor and Charlie Loomis, FOWA

Additionally, in partnership with Oceanic Hollis, the Aquarium presented its 3rd Annual Calendar Photo Contest, yielding more than 450 entries. From these entries, the Top 20 were judged and a final 12 photos were selected for the Waikīkī Aquarium’s 2016 Marine Tide Calendar. Mahalo to all of our participants and congratulations to our winners!

We could not do what we do without the support of our FOWA members. We are thankful for your continued contributions that make it possible for the Aquarium to develop programs and initiatives that support our mission to promote understanding, appreciation and conservation of Pacific marine life.

CENTRal PaCIfIC BaNK DR. MIllER

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NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

HONOLULU, HI

PERMIT NO. 278KILO I‘A Issue Number 1952016 JANUARY / FEBRUARY / MARCH

the waikīkī aquarium’s mission

To inspire and promote understanding, appreciation and conservation of Pacific marine life.

featuring our winner of this year’s calendar photo contest!

Photo Credit: Shane Myers